Women's Sexuality/Sexual Orientation Web Sites

Women's Issues Web Sites: Sexuality

Last updated: January 5, 2020

Here are selected women-related websites focusing on sexuality/sexual orientation:

Afrol.com: Gender: (The "Gender" section (under "more topics") of the African News portal site Afrol.com offers news coverage of women in Africa. Also under "more topics" is a "Gay/Lesbian" section.)
Against Rape: (Information on women in Great Britain, including Black, ethnic minority, immigrant, migrant, and refugee women, who have suffered rape, racist sexual assault, or other forms of violence and harassment. The website combines information from the organizations Black Women's Rape Action Project and Women Against Rape.)
All Things Queer: Gay and Lesbian Issues: (Deborah Levinson, formerly host of the gay/lesbian About.com site, now hosts her own site. It offers gay/lesbian-focused news, features, chat and message boards, a historical calendar, and annotated links to other gay and lesbian resources.)
And Adam Knew Eve: A Dictionary of Sex in the Bible: (Online edition of book by Ronald L. Ecker that offers both Biblical and scholarly citations to sexuality in the Bible. Includes alphabetical listings, index, bibliography, and links.)
Androgyny and Gender Dialectics: (Thomas Gramstad's collection of links to sites that blur or offer a new perspective on gender.)
Bibliographic References for Multicultural Perspectives on Domestic Violence in the U.S.: (Sociologist Natalie J. Sokoloff has compiled this extensive bibliography of print resources dealing with multicultural domestic violence. There are separate sections for Theories and Analyses, Racial/Ethnic Groups, Socio-Economic Status, Religious Groups, Lesbians, Social and Personal Change, Rural Domestic Violence, and Women with Disabilities.)
Bi Women: (This quarterly newsletter, produced by the Boston Bisexual Women's Network, provides information about books and films with bisexual themes, bi politics, and what's going on in bisexual communities in Boston and around the globe. Subscription is by voluntary donation. See the website for more information.)
The Blacklist: (A list of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people of African descent.)
Border Crossings: (Cyborgs, Gender, LesBiGay, La Frontera, and more. A terrific resource!)
C.A.R.I.T.I.G. (Centre d'Aide, de Recherche et d'Information sur la Transsexualité et l'Identité de Genre): (Web site of a French nonprofit organization that provides assistance, research, and information on transsexuality and gender identity. Most of the articles and other resources are in French, though parts of the site are also available in English.)
Center for Young Women's Health: (Sponsored by Boston's Children's Hospital, this site provides bilingual [English/Spanish] information about eating disorders, nutrition, menstruation, gynecological exams, endometriosis, cancer, sexuality, birth control options, STDs, smoking, breast health, body piercing, emotional health, and more, as well as a guide to lesbian health for teens.)
The Cool Page for Queer Teens: (Useful information and links for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender young people. Topics include how to know who you are, what it means to be gay, coming out, problems at home or school, someone to talk to, safe sex, feeling good about religion, and more resources. Created by Scott Bidstrup, an adult gay male.)
Creating LGBTQIA+ Friendly Communities in Healthcare and Education: (An organization entitled EduMed has created this online guide to help make healthcare and healthcare education more inclusive and welcoming for the LGBTQIA+ community [LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual plus other marginalized groups]. The guide "looks at the various challenges LGBTQIA+ individuals face--from the college classroom to the doctor's office--" and presents workable solutions for overcoming them. "The guide also shows readers how and where to find LGBTQIA+ friendly schools and medical providers."
Feminist Sexual Ethics Project: (The stated purpose of this Brandeis University site is "to provide information and create dialogue around issues of gender, religion, sexuality, and . . . slavery." The project's aim is "to create Jewish, Christian, and Muslim sexual ethics focusing on meaningful consent and mutuality." The site offers original essays, bibliographies, literature reviews, links to related sites, and more
Femme Noir: (Resource-rich site whose content focuses primarily on lesbians of color but also includes attention to non-lesbian-identified women of color. The site's extensive offerings are arranged into more than a dozen sections, including Arts & Entertainment, Events, Leaders and Legends, Multimedia, Poet's Corner, Articles, News, Lifestyles, Links to related sites, and more. The site also includes a Message Board and a section entitled In Our Own Words.)
FSD Alert: (Psychiatry professor Leonore Tiefer has created this web to publicize challenges to "the myths promoted by the pharmaceutical industry" and calls for research on the many causes of women's sexual problems, often referred to as "female sexual dysfunction" or FSD. The clearly partisan site includes an account of the issue and many useful links to news articles and related web sites.)
Gender and Sexuality: (Formerly the Carnegie Mellon English Server, now the EServer at the University of Washington. Extensive set of unannotated links concerning gender and/or sexuality. Good primarily for documents that don't change.)
Gender Identity Media Art: (Prof. Verena Kuni prepared this "online working sheet" to supplement her lectures and courses. It includes recommended readings and links for such topics as agency, body check, cyberfeminisms, the cyborg, mediated identities, next sex, technologies of gender, and trans/gender utopias.)
Gender Law and Policy: (Prof. Paisley Currah's page provides information and resources for passing laws prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression. It contains an up-to-date listing of relevant US laws, news coverage, resources concerning legal issues affecting transgendered and gender-variant people in the US, and more. Intended for activists, policymakers, and academics.)
Gender-Related Electronic Forums: Sexuality: (Annotated, frequently-updated listing of women- and gender-related email discussion forums focusing on sexuality or sexual orientation.)
Genders: (Publishing since 1988, the journal Genders switched to electronic publication with issue 27 in 1998. It focuses on the arts, humanities, and social sciences and publishes essays about "gender and sexuality in relation to social, political, artistic, and economic concerns.")
Gender Trespassing on Shared Space: (Amanda Calvert's extensive and evolving bibliography that focuses on the "shared space" of butch women and transgendered men. The bibliography includes fiction, non-fiction, and film, as well as a mechanism for readers to reply and contribute.)
The Guttmacher Institute: (This well-known Institute's site offers current research findings and policy analyses concerning sexual and reproductive health and rights in the U. S. and internationally. Resources include articles from Institute publications, policy papers, fact sheets, and more. It also gives visitors to the site the opportunity to create a table or a map using the Institute's data on demographics, abortion, adolescents, contraception, pregnancy, , services, and financing.)
Health and Human Rights Syllabi Database: (The Program on Global Health & Human Rights, Institute for Global Health at the University of Southern California has compiled a database containing syllabi from around the world, including many that focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights.)
International Trafficking in Women to the United States: A Contemporary Manifestation of Slavery and Organized Crime: (A 70-page 1999 report by Amy O'Neill Richard, an analyst with the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research. The report deals with trafficking of women and children for the sex industry and for labor. The report, in pdf format, requires an Adobe Acrobat reader, which may already be on your computer. If not, it can be downloaded at no cost from Adobe.)
The Isle of Lesbos: (Alexandria North's site is "a place of art, culture, and learning for women-oriented women." Lesbian-themed poetry, lesbian images in art, and quotations by or about lesbians. North has removed the Yoohoo! Lesbians! section because she could not keep it up to date.)
Lesbian-Centered European Films: (Annotated listing selected by Eva Isaksson from the larger GLBO-Centered Film List created by Frank Swilling.)
Lesbian History: (Professor Esther Newton's impressive site, which arose from her graduate and undergraduate Lesbian History seminars, provides extensive information and resources about many aspects of lesbian history.)
Lesbian Identity and the Politics of Butch Femme: An Annotated Bibliography: (Amy Goodloe offers extensive, useful annotations of approximately 25 important works.)
Lesbian Links (ACRL): (Part of WSSLINKS, the Association of College and Research Libraries' collection of Women's Studies links.)
Lesbian.Org: (Amy Goodloe's extensive, well-organized site dedicated to promoting lesbian visibility on the Internet.)
Lesbians of Color Site: (Yolanda Retter's site includes listings of lesbians and gays of color, bibliographies, archives, articles, interviews, news, organizations, a chronology 1950-1995, and more.)
LGBTQ Friendly Colleges & Student Resources: (A useful guide that was created to help LGBTQ ("Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning") students identify campuses that are helping to make the college experience more welcoming and supportive. The guide highlights universities with many LGBTQ resources, describes tactics to creating a safe space, introduces LGBTQ inclusive curriculum, and provides information about LGBTQ college organizations.)
MAP (Movement Advancement Project: (MAP's mission is "to provide independent and rigorous research, insight, and analysis that helps speed full equality for LGBT people." Among the site's many useful resources are a color-coded Non-Discrimination Map of the USA with information about non-discrimination laws affecting the LGBT community. Separate sections deal with laws in employment, housing, public accommodations, credit, and state employees. A separate map exists for Equality Policies state by state, including sexual orientation and gender identity. The site also offers suggestions for activism.)
Media Portrayals of Girls and Women: (This bi-lingual [English/French] Canadian site "provides a snapshot of the issues around the media's portrayal of women and girls -- from effects on body image and self-identity to ramifications in sports and politics. It looks at the economic interests behind the objectification and eroticization of females by the media as well as efforts to counter negative stereotyping." Also included on the site are sections dealing with men and masculinity and resources for parents and for teachers. From Canada's non-profit Media Awareness Network.)
National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education: (Site includes bibliography of papers and reports on campus climates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students, links to campus lgbt resource center sites, and related resources.)
National Sexual Violence Resource Center: (A clearinghouse of information [reports, news, statistics, state and national organizations, federal agencies, legal and medical resources, related web sites] about sexual violence and its prevention.)
NonTraditional News: (The web page of Foundation for Role Equity Education (FREE) contains articles arguing for a blurring of gender distinctions and the elimination of sex-based discrimination through education.)
Ontario Consultants on Relgious Tolerance: (This valuable site includes [under "Hot Topics"] essays and information about religious positions on abortion, homosexuality, female clergy, and other controverial issues.)
Our Bodies, Ourselves: Companion Website: (The classic book about women's health and sexuality, Our Bodies, Ourselves, currently in its 8th edition, now has a very useful companion website. The site provides abundant information and links arranged into eight categories: Taking Care of Ourselves, Relationships and Sexuality, Sexual Health, Reproductive Choices, Child-Bearing, Growing Older, Medical Problems and Procedures, and Knowledge is Power. It also offers excerpts and resources organized around the book's 32 chapters.)
OutTakes: Lesbianism in Film: (More than 1000 films with lesbian content are listed with brief reviews. Site includes photos, essays, film trailers, screensavers, and even its own talk radio station.)
People With a History: An Online Guide to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans* History: (Paul Halsall has created a vast and impressive resource that attempts to cover LGBT history "in all periods, and in all regions of the world," and the web resources that deal with it. Arranged in chapters, the site offers historical overviews and links to hundreds of discussions, fiction and non-fiction texts, reviews, and other links, as well as a large, partly annotated bibliography.)
Pont des Arts Blog: (I include very few blogs in these listings, in part because there are better places to find out about blogs and in part because including blogs would make this already large listing excessively large. Every now and then, however, I make an exception. Women-related sci/tech blogs are one such exception, and Pont des Arts is another. Pont des Arts is a Spanish-language blog by Gabriela De Cicco, from Argentina. Updated almost every day, the blog offers interesting observations about the following topics: Activismo, Actualidad, Argentina, Art, Blogosfera, Cultura, Escribir, Feminismo, Lesbianas, Lgbt, Literatura, Mujeres, Musica, y Periodismo. Also included are links to related sites.)
Queer Resources Directory: (Vast collection of Queer resources arranged into more than a dozen categories such as "youth," "health," "media," "religion," "activism," "workplace," and more.)
QueerTheory.com: (A vast collection of resources about queer theory, queer practice, queer everything. More than 150 topics, from Academics to Zines, as well as twelve "interrelated folios" and six indices: Names, Subjects, Authors, Book Topics, Scholars, and Organizations.)
Rainbow Query: (Vast collection of Queer links in 200 categories)
Same-Sex Marriage: A Selective Bibliography: (Rutgers University law librarian Paul Axel-Lute has compiled this bibliography of books, web sites, and articles from scholarly journals dealing with same-sex marriage. Organized by both topic [including arguments for and against] and geographic area.)
Sex Laws: (Mark Gray's extensive compilation of laws pertaining to various aspects of sexuality in Australia, Canada, and the United States, as well as relevant laws in Islam and links to some related sites.)
Sexuality and Cyberspace: (Issue #17 of the journal Women and Performance is devoted to the topic "Sexuality and Cyberspace." Full-text essays are available online and are organized into the following categories: Towards a Prosthetic Feminism, Closets in the Matrix, Bodies that Materialize, When the Digital is Political, and Resources.)
Shameful 76: The 76 Countries Around the World That Make Being LGBT Illegal: (An alphabetical listing. For each country, there is information about the laws that are enforced, the attitude of the public in that country toward LBGT issues, and the penalty for violation of the laws. A useful site to consult before traveling, seeking employment, or studying abroad.)
Stop Porn Culture!: (Sponsored by the feminist, anti-pornography organization Stop Porn Culture, this website offers a FAQ, news, slideshows, links to local chapters, and links to videos, websites, and other resources. A useful resource for people teaching courses on media and/or pornography, and useful too for activists.)
Techno Dyke: ("The gathering place for the web savvy dyke," Techno Dyke offers forums, dating ads, and info about music, books, etc. What makes it stand out from many other dyke sites are the columns and features about technology, reflecting the welcome assumption that women are interested in and savvy about technology.)
theory.org.uk: (Website "about the relationship between the mass media and people's identities, gender and everyday life." Special sections devoted to gender issues, Judith Butler, queer theory, and identity, among other. Includes essays, reviews, links, and more.)
Workplace Fairness: Sexual Orientation Discrimination: (A useful site that explains what constitutes sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace, provides information about anti-discrimination laws, and offers a list of questions and answers related to this issue.)
XY Online: (XY is a profeminist website focused on "men, masculinities, and gender politics." It offers a forum for debate and discussion, a resource library, and a toolkit for activism. Among its resources are over 200 articles on issues such as domestic violence, building gender equality, and the relationships between masculinity, class, race, and sexuality.)
Yahoo Women's Studies links: (Highly organized collection of links. Includes a search engine. See also Yahoo's separate sections on Gender and on Sexuality.)

See also the sexuality listings in the Comprehensive sites.

Go back to complete list of women-related WWW sites

Copyright 1994-2019 by Joan Korenman.

Please send all additions and corrections to: Joan Korenman . However, please do not ask me to suggest web sites or other resources, and do not ask me to link to sites that are not rich in academic women-focused resources. I unfortunately do not have time to respond to such requests. Many thanks.